Soy OK for cancer survivor

The People's Pharmacy

Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2009

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• Is soy good or bad for an overweight breast-cancer survivor? I've heard both.

Breast-cancer survivors sometimes have been warned to avoid soy-based foods because of the natural estrogenlike compounds soy contains. A recent study of survivors from Shanghai, China, showed that is not necessary. In fact, women in this study who ate the most tofu, miso and other soy foods were less likely to experience a recurrence of their breast cancer than those who ate the least soy-based foods (Journal of the American Medical Association, Dec. 9, 2009).

Experts caution that this good news might not apply to supplements containing soy compounds such as genistein. You should be able to enjoy miso soup, tofu and tempeh without worry.

• Recently, I heard a suggestion that niacin would be better and cheaper than Vytorin for lowering cholesterol. I know there has not been an extensive study on this. I exercise and watch my diet pretty well and wonder if I might be better off on niacin. Would I need a prescription?

The study you heard about was published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Nov. 26. Niacin was compared to ezetimibe (Zetia), one part of the combination medicine Vytorin. All 200 of the patients in the completed study took a statin cholesterol-lowering drug, but some took prescription niacin and others took Zetia in addition to the statin. Niacin worked better than Zetia for cardiovascular health.

Niacin has more than 50 years of successful use against high cholesterol. We discuss the benefits and risks of niacin along with other drugs and natural approaches in our Guide to Cholesterol Control and Heart Health. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. C-8, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

Although niacin can be purchased without a prescription, we think it only should be used under medical supervision.

• I have had dry mouth for years due to medication. Recently, with my diabetes diagnosis, it has gotten much worse. It is hard to talk and swallow.

In the past week or so, I have had very painful sores inside my mouth and on my tongue. My doctors were no help, but my mom referred me to the People's Pharmacy yesterday, and I read about sauerkraut juice. I purchased a 79-cent can of sauerkraut (after spending $30 on OTC canker-sore meds) and took it home, not really thinking it would help. Within a minute, the pain was gone! The relief lasted for hours. I don't know how it works, but it does. This remedy is a lifesaver for me.

We heard about sauerkraut juice for canker sores more than a decade ago. A listener to our syndicated radio show shared his mother's remedy. She worked as a dental assistant during the Great Depression and learned this remedy from the dentist, who recommended swishing the mouth with sauerkraut juice several times during the day. Swallowing about a tablespoon of juice each time might help.

We are not aware of a scientific explanation for why sauerkraut juice would help heal canker sores. We have heard from many readers who have found it helpful, however.

• You recently had a man write in about problems with Lipitor for lowering cholesterol. I'd like to share my personal experience with my 97-year-old mother. She experienced muscle pains on Zocor she was taking for cholesterol control. She discontinued it due to muscle pain and weakness. After that, she started taking CoQ10. It took about six to eight weeks before she began to get her muscle strength back. It has been a year now, and her cholesterol still is normal. Even better, she is very well; she walks wherever she wants to, and her arms are as strong as before, with no pain.

Statin cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Crestor, Lipitor and Zocor deplete tissues of Coenzyme Q10, a compound that is naturally found throughout the body. Other people have reported that taking supplemental CoQ10 can help counteract some of the muscle pain and weakness that might be associated with these cholesterol-lowering medications. At 97, your mother probably doesn't need to worry about her cholesterol level.